Method of mixing concrete.



EAN 2, 1906,

PATENTED P. Gl HAMM.

Hon 0F Mmm@ GGNGREEB.

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10N FILED @3.11.1905

APPLICAT FATENTED JAN. 2, 1906. P. G. HAINS.

METHOD 0F MIXING CONCRETE.

APlLIGATION FILED APR.11. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

rfasy a UNITED srngipsagnnr arriba,

PETER C. HAINS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

METHOD OF MIXING CONCRETE..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 2, 1,906.y

Aplicaion filed Apri1-11,19o5. SerialNo. 254,910-

' relation in proper economical proportions to `form the desired product.

Concrete, as well understood, consists of an intimate mixture of an active cementing substance and particles lot'inert material, which upon hardening of the cementing substance forms an artiiieial stone, the active cementing substance consisting usually ol hydraulic cement and water forming a paste, and theinertmaterial consisting of sand combined with broken stone or gravel, or both. To secure the best results and produce cop'- crete of a homogeneous character, it is desirable that each particle of the inert material shall be covered with,the cement paste, the smaller particles serving to fill the interstices between the larger particles and the cement paste filling the remaining voids. Cement paste in excess of the amount required to properly cover the particles of the inert material may be considered largely` as waste, only that portion of the excess actually illing voids serving'its proper and economic purpose.

The methods heretofore employed in mixing concrete have been open to the objection that they did not impart the desired covering el cement paste to all the particles of the inert material, and especially has this been the where an excess of cement has not been employed. The cement constituent of the mixture is by far the most costly, and since an excess over the amount necessary to properly co'ver all the particles of inert material is largely without substantial value or may be regarded as waste it will at once be apparent that an economic production of concrete requires that due consideration be given the proper distribution of the cement through-v out the mass during the mixing operation. By the methods heretofore employed the sand, broken stone, or other character of inert material, water, and cement were brought together in amass and then agitated either by hand or machine manipulation to cause a distribution of the cement andthe'intimate mixture of all the constituents; but in such cases all the particles of inert material were not covered by the cement paste, thus procording to the degree of cement distribution, or an excess of cement was employedwith a consequent loss of economic production. In either vent, however, it was necessary to carry o the agitation of the mass for a prolonged period to insure a reasonable incorpo- With these and other defects in view the object of the present invention is to provide va method of mixing the active and inert substances, whereby the active substance or cement is evenly and intimately brought into surface contact with every particle ofthe inert substance while the latter is in a wet consterial is properly covered with cemen't paste ,"aird the use of an excess of cement is avoided, so that upon hardening the entire mixture will be properly bound together into a homogeneous mass.

sists of forming a cloud of dry cement powder, wetting the inert material, and passing the inert material while wet into contact with the cloud of cement, powder, whereby the particles of cement powder contact with and adhere to the wet surfaces of the particles of of cement paste, all as will be hereinafter pointed out in the' claims. g v

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate one of the many forms of mechanical devices by which the present method may be carried into ractical effect, Figure 1 re resents in side e evation a portion of a truc or other form of wheeled structure having provisions for carrying out the present method. Fig. 2 is a central vertical longitudinal section on line a; Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is an end view of 1 looking'in the direction of the arrow and with portions broken away to show parts beyond. Fig. 4 is a section on line x of Fig. 2,

In the drawings, A re resents any usual form of wheeled truck a apted to carr the mixing instrumentalities to be describe A 'ployed as a matter of convenience, so that it Generallystated, the present invention'coninert material, providing a covering thereforv wheeled truck or carriage is preferably em-- E ducmg concrete more or less defective, ac-

ration of the cement with the inert material. l

dition, so that every particle of the inert mamore fully described and then definitely may be moved from place to place, according to the calls of the work and as may be desired; but it will be understood, of course, that this is Ynot necessary, and a fixed structure might be employed as the supporting-frame.

Projecting upward from the truck A are the brackets A', carrying at their upper ends suitable bearings for the shaft B, extending transversely of the truck A. Upo'nthe shaftV B are mounted a series of stirrers or blades b,

Figs. 2 to 3, which are preferably housed the structure being disclosed as a chute having an open lower end. Adjacent to the receptacle D and preferably above the same is a cement-rece tacle E, the lower end of which ma be close by a pair of sliding doors e e, an preferably disposed lengthwise ofthe cement-rece tacle is the cement-a itator e', the purpose o it comes from the cement-receptacle E and form it into a cloud or fioatingmass of fine particles, which is easily accomplished, since the cement powder is dry and in a pulverulent condition. The cement-agitator e comprise in the form illustrateda shaft e2, having the blades e3 radially disposed to said shaft. It is evident, of course, that `any formvof device may be employed for stirrin or agitating the cement owder as it comes rom the cementreceptac e E into the floating mass or cloud.

Itwill be .noted that the bottom portion of the cement-receptacle and the receptacle D' for the inert material are of a combined'size' to substantiall coi'ncidewith an opening C in the casing C', so that when said casing is moved by the handle C into position shown in Fig. 2 the o ening C2 therein will communicate with bot i the openings of the cement-receptacle and the inert-material receptacle.

The shaft B, carrying the blades or stirrers b, has a sprocket-wheel 'b2 provided thereon, which may be driven from any suitable source of power by a suitable belt or sprocket, (shown at b3.) The shaft B on the end opposite the sprocket-wheel b2 is provided with a pulley b4, about which passes a belt 12" for driving the idle pulley b through the small pulley 117, as best illustrated in Fig. i. The cement-agitator e is driven from the pulley b by means of a belt bs, engaging the pulley b and a small pulley b4, on the end of the shaft e2 ofthe cement-agitator. While l have described the particular means for driving the blades or stirrers b and the cementagitator, it will of course be understood that any suitable devices may be employed.

material,

projecting flange `ceptacles D and which is to engage t e cement asv -iieath the casing G.

Disposed in suitable relation to the top of the inert-material rece tacle D is a waterpipe F, eommunicatinglb pipef to a convenient source of supply, an

Vlsaid Water-pipe F is 'provided with a series ofv holes or perforations to properly wet the may terial that 'may cle D.

Extending from the receptacles D and E cireumferentiall with respect to the casing C are the circu ar projecting flanges G G. When the casingy C is turned about its supports to bring the openings C2 below the shaft B to discharge the contents ofthe casing;I the opening C2 travels over the circular piioj'ecting flange G, which acts asa retainer for the material inl the casing until the opening-of the casing is brought to the discharge-point, as will be obvious. Likewise when the casing is rotated in the opposite direction to bring the openin be contained in the receptaat the time when the re- E are being charged with the desired quantities of inert and active materials, respectively, the portion of the casing below the opening C2 may form a closure for the bottom of the receptacles will be apparent.

Many forms of machines or mechanical devices might be su gested for carrying out the present method, t e essentials of which comprise the formation ofv a cloud oi' floating mass of dry cement powder and movingv into D and E, as`

y a suitable supplyi C2 beneath the circular or throfigh such floating mass or cloud of cori 'Y ment powder the particles of the inert mass which have beenpreviously wet, so that by coming in contact with the dry floating particles of cement powder each of the particles of the inert mass willliave attached to its surfaces the particles ofdry powder, which uniting with the moisture on the particles of the inert mass will form a paste and coinpletely cover the same.

Referring to the operation of the device which many forms of mechanisms that may be employed in carrying out the present method, the casing C is first turned by means of a handle C" to bring the openings C2 thereof bethe inert material, such as sand and broken stone or gravel, and the other With the dry cement powder. The casin C is then turned to bring the openin dence with the o enings vof te and E. The sli( ing doois c are then withdrawn toa suitable extent. The shaft B and stirrers or blades b are rotated within the casing, and simultaneously the cement-agitator e is rotated, so that as the inert material in the receptacle D which has been reviously wet from the water-pipe Fpasses into the casing C it comes in contact with the fioating particles or cloud of cement powder has been illustrated as one of the The receptacles D and' `E are then filled, respectively, the one with -f 2 intocoincireceptaclesD IOO C it may be continued in agitation for a time,

so as to insure the intimate contact of all the particles of the inert material with the cloud or iioating particles of cement powder within the casing C. The casing may then be rotated to bring the opening C2 at a point below the shaft B to discharge the mixture, which` will be found to be ahomogeneous mass, each particle of which islthoroughly covered by cement paste.

It will be evident, of course, that the inert material may be supplied with the re uisite amount of moisture either entirely before it enters the casing C or only partially, and the remaining moisture may be added during the action of the stirrers b, the essential in this respect being that the particles of inert material be provided with a surfacemoisture to which the dry cement powder may-adhere and form cement paste.

Having thus described my invention, what.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The improved method of mixing concrete which consists in wetting the inert material and then subjecting the wet inert material to the action of a cloud of dry powder cement to cause the particles of inert material to become covered with cement paste.

2. The improved method ofy mixing concrete which consists inwetting the inert material and moving the wet inert material in a cloud ofdry powder cement to cause the particles of inert material to become covered with cement paste.

3. The method of mixing concrete which consists in forminga cloud of powder cement, wetting the inert material, and moving the wet inert material in the cloud-ofA dry powder cement to cause the particles of inert material to become covered ',with cement paste.

4. The method of mixing concrete which consists in forming a cloud of dry powder cement, and agitating a mass of wet inert material in said cloud of dry powder cement to cause the particles of wet inert material to become covered with cement paste.

5. The method of mixing concrete which consists in wetting the inert material, moving the wetinert material and simultaneously forcing a cloud of dry powder cement across the path of movement of the wet inert material to cause the particles of inert material to become covered with cement paste.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

I PETER C. I-IAIN S.

Witnesses:

W. S. BAncocK, EDWIN S. CLARKsoN 

